Freddie Wilcox, a local football hero who served as Harahan's mayor for 14 years, died early Friday (May 2). Mr. Wilcox died in his sleep, after having suffered from Alzheimer's.

He was 79.

"He was different, he was a character," said son, Tommy Wilcox. "He was a good man, and he will be missed."

Born in Harahan when its north woods were known for hunting, Freddie Wilcox became a star football player at Kenner High School, played at Tulane and drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. But there was little glamour in pro football then; Mr. Wilcox said he missed home. Back in Harahan, he married and started a family that grew to include six children.

In Harahan he quickly became interested in politics, Tommy Wilcox said. "He loved the city of Harahan, and he thought there were some things that needed to be done differently," he said. "He threw his hat in the ring and won."

In 1966 Mr. Wilcox was elected mayor at age 31. He served 14 years, stressing improvements to what he loved most -- the city's recreation department, remembered current Harahan Mayor Vinny Mosca. "There was no crime then and less issues," Mosca recalled. "The big issue when he was mayor was sports."

The Harahan Playground was nothing to be proud of when Wilcox started his tenure. "It was nothing more than a field with a horse ring," recalled Tommy Wilcox. As mayor, Mr. Wilcox pushed for the construction of a gymnasium and concession stand at the playground and started recreational teams for Harahan children. Today, the playground is viewed by residents as one of the prides of the small city.

Mosca recalls Mr. Wilcox as a kind of "godfather" of Harahan, with an open door policy that welcomed anyone with concerns. "When he was mayor he was the godfather of the city," Mosca said. "Everyone went to him for advice, not just city hall business - advice, life advice. Basically he comforted the people that came to him."

Though Mr. Wilcox ran for sheriff of Jefferson Parish twice unsuccessfully, he eventually found himself working in Jefferson Parish politics. In 1980, he left the mayor's offcie when his former high school football coach, Joe Yenni, who was parish president, tapped him to become head of the parish's recreation department. Mr. Wilcox later became director of the parish animal shelters before retiring.

He is survived by his former wife, Wilma Wilcox, and five children: Tommy Wilcox, Therese Wilcox, Monica Wilcox Fabacher, Rose Wilcox and Freddie Wilcox Jr.

Visitation will be held at the Garden of Memories, in Metairie, on Tuesday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m.